Tuesday Exploring

These mornings, I am sleeping into 8ish. I wake with the sun rising around 5ish and then go back to sleep. I often wake up a few times and even drink water. I have no alarm as I have no plans on most days. It feels quite pleasant to make up the day as it happens.

I read my emails, looked at the news (mostly reading the political items), updated Quicken with transactions, eyed all my account balances, and started on the blog. I had a NYC bagel (thanks, Joyce) with cream cheese, a banana, and liberal Equal Exchange coffee for my breakfast while writing.

I find Tuesdays harder to start as I am tired from all the weekend things. Monday was more of an extension and clean-up for the weekend. Tuesday, my legs hurt, the bed felt very comfortable, and I just wanted to go slow. I am paying for the weekend and Monday.

The blog took until late morning. I cleaned up, dressed, and was still working on the blog until the morning was nearly gone. I took out the bacon, nothing special, and fried six pieces in a non-stick frying pan (thanks, Steve) and then sliced a tomato I remembered buying yesterday when I picked up a few things from Safeway. The lettuce was still looking fresh in the crisper in the frig, and I pulled off a few leaves. I toasted the new bread (the artisan bread had a very artful beard of mold, and the last two pieces were trashed) and soon had an excellent BLT. I saved three pieces of bacon for a later creation.

I watched the newest videos of ShipHappens, Battleship New Jersey celebrating finishing replacing all the teak wood on the main decks, and Drachinifel’s discussion of whether the IJN Kongo class were fast battleships (no) while enjoying my BLT. My tastes are slowly returning. I could get a lot of the sandwich flavor. Dr. G said the loss is caused by the brain tumor surgery and should slowly recover over the next year. It seems to get better every couple of weeks. My left eye is better, but it still does not close as well or as fast as it should. I wear eye protection to prevent dust from damaging it–it cannot blink fast enough. It was a nice early afternoon.

I loaded up the box of office books, empty frames, and some Christmas items I don’t need in the Air Volvo Cargo hold (which is filled with board games). I decided to head to the park to walk, but then I had to return my phone. I forgot it again!

After returning for the phone, I decided to head to Forest Grove and walk the lovely Pacific University campus. At Hillsboro, on the way to Forest Grove, the highway was closed to one lane for construction. I decided that I could change to Hillsboro and skip the mess. It took me a while to find a parking spot as the streets were closed late Tuesday afternoon for an event. Once parked I walked across Hillsboro and managed about 3,000 steps. I walked through the antique stores but did not see anything I needed or something I could use for 1920s gaming props.

I stopped by Rune and Board gaming store and talked for some time with Nick, the owner. I talked about various board games, and I purchased a reduced-priced game, A Sherlock Holmes case book game but this one on Jack the Ripper (I have the other one). Nick gave me his card, and I will send him a note to see if he wants to have a night for board games (I am willing to rent a table). Nick would get a chance to play some of these games he does not know. More to come on that. It sounds exciting.

After buying the game, I stopped by the place where I bought coffee. I bought ground, freshly roasted coffee, and a few other items. I also stopped by the bakery and got a few scones for the next couple of breakfasts. I also got a Smoky Robinson cookie made with smoked salt; it was a complex and interesting cookie. With all these goodies, I left Hillsboro. I stopped at GoodWill on the way back to the Volvo Cave and unloaded the office items and Christmas stuff.

Once Air Volov had me at the house, I started chopping and soon was making Jambalaya from a box. I made the Trinity (green pepper, onion, and celery in equal proportions) and added the Pope and Cardinals (a can of chopped tomatoes with garlic). I let that cook until shiny in a large pan with just a bit of oil. I chopped various sausages and then made a mistake. I should have cooked them in another pan and drained them. Nope, just threw them in. I added hot water from the electric kettle and the from-the-box rice and seasonings and let that cook for twenty minutes on low. I added frozen huge gulf shrimp (headless) that cook on top for five more minutes. I then stirred them in and cooked the jambalaya for another five minutes. I had three bowls and three shrimp which were not rubbery and excellent. It is not the same as the smoky flavor of New Orleans, and I will have to return to NOLA for more research!

I rested, read more of Grant’s 1864 actions, and napped after that. I rose, which was harder than I expected as my legs were not interested in moving, and soon, I was putting away the jambalaya in bags and loading up the freezer with easy, spicy, ad hoc meals. Next, I got in Air Volvo, forgot my phone, reached Reedville Creek Park, returned, got my phone, and returned again to the park. F**k.

The park was busy as we approached sunset, about 7, and the Hillsboro library folks were there giving away free books and crafts for little people. I thanked the library folks and demurred when offered a free book and bookmark. I headed out doing loops and tipped my hat often to other walkers and runners. The grass was filled with people playing soccer and volleyball. The skatepark was full of young and less young folks doing impossible stunts and some making, for me, impossible to recover from falls on cement (they laugh and get up). I manage three pleasant loops with many smiles, hellos, and hat tips. I finished Tuesday with more than 5,200 steps (Monday with 5,700+).

Air Volvo takes me to Wildwood Taphouse and they are happy to see me. I appear less often as excellent beer is not The Way to weight loss. I have Lisboa, a huge box of a board game, and I plan to re-read the rules so I can teach it again and play it. It is one of my favorites, but it is complex and intimidating to most new gamers (Z loved it). It flows well and has a happy vibe (unlike Brass, where everything is dark and competitive). It also has a mechanic that other players may play on your turn, meaning that everyone has to pay attention. This is a favorote mechanic of mine and Vital Lacerda, the designer, a favorite too. Two beers later and approaching 10, I finish the rules and look over the components. I remember how to play now and could teach it. The strategy I am less sure about, but that will make the next play more fun as we discover that together.

Lisboa is about the 50th rank game out of thousands at Board Game Geek and is rated a huge 4.58/5 complexity (ye ‘r warned) and sells for about $126 for a new copy. It is still in print. There is also a bonus card, The Queen, available that is only a minor update to the game. Lisboa plays 1-4 players (I have never tried solo mode), and it will take a few hours for new players. To any would-be player, clearing rubble is the most important thing you can do. Lisboa is often ranked, even with its aging from 2017, as Vital Lacerda’s best game.

I returned to the Volvo Cave, showered, read in bed, and finished Strategy and Tactics Quartly Fall 2024: Grant’s Overland Campaign. I enjoyed the sad finish as both Grant and Lee never achieve the war-ending breakout, and both legends are discolored and marred by the 1964 Forty Days in the Wilderness. General Bell’s, the author of this history, story is much more focused on action and less on the poetry-like writing of Shelby Foote, who tells the same story in his histories. This is what you would expect from Strategy and Tactics Magazine. I like this more-to-the-fact version. I also recommend their book to any ACW readers, The Quest of Annilation. This explains the mechanics of the ACW and the flawed tactics.

Soon, I was asleep, dreaming of moving and trying to reach somewhere. I woke a few times to prove hydration and to apply Benadryl cream for hives. It helps.

Thanks for reading.